As mobile computing systems, such smart phones, have become more affordable and capable, users have come to rely more and more on these devices, and to expect more and more functionality from these devices.
One drawback to some applications and features associated with mobile computing systems, such as e-mail retrieval applications, texting services, and various other data providing applications and features, is that they not only must be loaded and launched but, in many cases, the applications or features require data downloads before they can provide the user the desired capabilities.
For instance, many applications, such an e-mail retrieval application running on a smart phone, not only need to be launched, but an Internet connection must be established, a link to the source of data must be made, and the available data must be downloaded and/or accessed before it can be displayed to the user. This process takes considerable time and processor cycles.
As a result, in order to at least save user time, some currently available applications, such e-mail retrieval/access applications, establish the Internet connection, link to the source of e-mail or other data, and download the available e-mails or other data on a periodic basis automatically. Some currently available applications even allow the user to set the periodic basis, i.e., the interval between events of automatically establishing the Internet connection, linking to the source of data, and downloading the available data. However, using these automatic periodic data retrieval systems, once the periodic interval between data retrieval events is established, the periodic interval is relatively static and often difficult to change. As a result, in many cases, the Internet connection is automatically established, the source of data is linked to, and the available data is downloaded, unnecessarily, i.e., when the user does not desire to, and/or cannot, view the data anyway. Consequently, using currently available periodic data retrieval systems, the mobile computing system's battery power, and various other resources such as processor cycles and/or network bandwidth, are often used unnecessarily, i.e., are wasted.
In light of the situation described above, currently, users of mobile computing system applications or features are often forced to choose between pulling data into the mobile computing system on manual demand, and then waiting a significant time for the application start up, make a data source connection, and then obtain the necessary data, or to leave the application running and have the data periodically, and automatically, pushed to the mobile computing system and application, in which case, mobile computing system resources, such as battery life, are often squandered. Clearly this situation is not ideal for either the users of the mobile computing systems and applications or the providers of the mobile computing systems and applications.